New CH.com Forum | |
http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl
Cluster Headache Help and Support >> Getting to Know Ya >> First Post http://www.clusterheadaches.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1482180448 Message started by jdcam717 on Dec 19th, 2016 at 3:47pm |
Title: First Post Post by jdcam717 on Dec 19th, 2016 at 3:47pm
Hello everyone,
I am 38 years old and have experienced on and off headaches all my life. Usually around one a month with a migraine around once every 3 months. That was until about 1.5 years ago. In June of 2015 I woke one morning with a headache, seemed normal enough except my normal aspirin I had been trained to use my whole life was ineffective. Because of my migraines in the past I had access to immitrex which would provide temporary relief until it wore off and the headache would return. I started going to doctor's after about 2 weeks. Sine then I have seen dozens of doctors, everything from neurologists to dentists trying to find what is causing these headaches. I have had 2 sinus surgeries and been down to the Jefferson headache center in Philly. Of course I also have had several MRI and CT scans and I do not have a tumor or anything like that at this point. Nobody has been able to even give me any type of answer as to what is causing this. Most doctors don't even seem to want to treat me. Once they discover it is not the normal things they are used to treating on a daily basis they all but push me out the door and refer me to other doctors who do the same. Each doctor has me try pills for preventatives and nothing has worked even a little. Pain meds such as Immitrex or other Triptans along with percoset and tramadol are the only way I have been able to function. I know you guys are reading this right now and thinking "That sucks but this is a cluster headache board and that doesn't sound like a cluster headache". So let me explain. During this year and a half my symptoms have changed repeatedly. For the most part I wake with a minor dull pain in my head or sinus area and it just builds all day. I am doing allergy injections just in case. Several different times throughout this ordeal I had Cluster headaches and didn't know what they were. I just finished an 8 day cycle. I seem to have a cycle of cluster headaches every 3 moths or less along with chronic daily headaches and the weekly migraine. Imagine when your cluster headache cycle finally ends and instead of relief you get chronic daily headaches and migraines taking over. My life is falling a part. I am in pain every single day and have nothing positive on the horizon. My next treatment is Botox in January but I don't have high hopes. The main reason I am posting here is 2 fold, one is that I am very depressed and feel alone dealing with this. I have nobody that understands what I am dealing with. Second is that I feel the biggest problem for me is finding a doctor who cares enough to want to help me. Like I said earlier every doctor I have encountered has very little interest in taking some extra time and helping me figure this out. They give me the common drugs and send me on my way with no real solution. I actively have to fight to keep my pain med prescriptions active. It's almost as if they don't believe me, or think I am making it up. I don't understand it. I wanted to ask you all if you know any doctors you could recommend that is more than a paycheck collector, someone who actually cares about helping people and not just making money. I need someone to take an interest. I need help. I live in southern Pennsylvania, York to be exact I have access to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Hershey in my immediate area. If any of you are in this area and have found a doctor that has helped you in any way please share with me their info and your story with them. Thank you for taking the time to read this plea and thank you for being here for us who suffer with this horrible affliction. I may become a regular here so I look forward to interacting with you all. Thanks. Josh |
Title: Re: First Post Post by Hoppy on Dec 19th, 2016 at 6:54pm
Hi Josh and welcome,
Maybe send "Batch" a PM on the vitamin D regimen! It has lots of us here CH free, myself included. Or pay a visit to our sister site! ClusterBusters, for some alternative treatment. The link is to your left on this page. Cheers Hoppy |
Title: Re: First Post Post by Skyhawk5 on Dec 21st, 2016 at 11:09pm
For most of with CH, pain meds such as percoset & tramidal are of no use for our attacks. For me they trigger attacks. This could be why the Doctors are turning away.
Don |
Title: Re: First Post Post by Mike NZ on Dec 21st, 2016 at 11:26pm
I agree with Don. Narcotic pain killers can result in not just rebound headaches but they are also highly addictive and result in other issues too.
For a CH, even the strongest narcotic pain killer won't help. |
Title: Re: First Post Post by Bob Johnson on Dec 22nd, 2016 at 10:16am
Cephalalgia. 2010 Apr;30(4):399-412. Epub 2010 Feb 15.
Cluster-like headache. A comprehensive reappraisal. Mainardi F, Trucco M, Maggioni F, Palestini C, Dainese F, Zanchin G. Headache Centre, Neurological Division, SS. Giovanni e Paolo Hospital, Venice, Italy. federico.mainardi@ulss12.ve.it Abstract Among the primary headaches, cluster headache (CH) presents very particular features allowing a relatively easy diagnosis based on criteria listed in Chapter 3 of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). However, as in all primary headaches, possible underlying causal conditions must be excluded to rule out a secondary cluster-like headache (CLH). THE OBSERVATION OF SOME CASES WITH CLINICAL FEATURES MIMICKING PRIMARY CH, BUT OF SECONDARY ORIGIN, led us to perform an extended review of CLH reports in the literature. We identified 156 CLH cases published from 1975 to 2008. THE MORE FREQUENT PATHOLOGIES IN ASSOCIATION WITH CLH WERE THE VASCULAR ONES (38.5%, N = 57), FOLLOWED BY TUMOURS (25.7%, N = 38) AND INFLAMMATORY INFECTIOUS DISEASES (13.5%, N = 20). Eighty were excluded from further analysis, because of inadequate information. The remaining 76 were divided into two groups: those that satisfied the ICHD-II diagnostic criteria for CH, 'fulfilling' group (F), n = 38; and those with a symptomatology in disagreement with one or more ICHD-II criteria, 'not fulfilling' group (NF), n = 38. Among the aims of this study was the possible identification of clinical features leading to the suspicion of a symptomatic origin. In the differential diagnosis with CH, red flags resulted both for F and NF, older age at onset; for NF, abnormal neurological/general examination (73.6%), duration (34.2%), frequency (15.8%) and localization (10.5%) of the attacks. WE STRESS THE FACT THAT, ON FIRST OBSERVATION, 50% OF CLH PRESENTED AS F CASES, PERFECTLY MIMICKING CH. THEREFORE, THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATE, CLINICAL EVALUATION AND OF NEUROIMAGING CANNOT BE OVERESTIMATED. PMID: 19735480 [PubMed =================== Look under: Medications, Treatments, Therapies -› Important Topics ->Cluster-LIKE headache ================ After all these years of wandering, it's time to send as much time as is needed to find a Headache Specialist. |
New CH.com Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.4! YaBB © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. |